Jedhead
State of Origin Rep
Contributor
- Jan 8, 2018
- 6,127
- 12,402
Can't you see mate? Storm will never have an "inevitable downturn". it does not suit the NRL's push into Victoria and their ability to ask for top dollar from the broadcasting networks. If Storm were to become mediocre then the little interest they hold over Victoria would vanish overnight and with it a key bargaining chip of the NRL.
Hence Melbourne can field a team with 2 - 3 elite players, 5 -7 bog standard players and another half a dozen ordinary players who do nothin flash but can retain the ball and complete the majority of their tackles. The referees/bunker and a very liberal interpretation of the rules will ensure they are always in the running come September.
Some people have been confounded when they claimed "oh wait until they have to play without Inglis" and nothin happened. Then they said "wait until they have to play without Slater" and nothin happened. Then they said "wait until they have to play without Cronk" nothin happened. Finally, when Smith left they grew louder and said " they will now be totally stuffed without the GOAT" but again nothin happened because it's not the individuals in the team that keep them competitive it's NRL directives.
Some on here say "oh wait until such and such a player is put through the Storm system they'll improve immeasurably" well I tend to think you put any player in a Storm team that is given such leeway by the officials and they will all tend to improve their overall performance. The success and winning week in week out alone does wonders for a player's confidence and allows them to take further risks in their game.
I personally don't think the Storm 'system' is all it is cracked up to be by some on here. Sure they're defence is great as they spend hours on end in a Melbourne Dojo learning how to cynically attack a player and leave them momentarily inoperative and at times physically broken. The chicken wing, the crusher, the leg splits etc. they all came from the Storm ask Alex McKinnon. They're a blight on the game and the rest of the comp has suffered because the NRL wants to keep them successful.
Ask yourself if Bellyache was really such a great coach(they are now saying in the media perhaps the best ever) why was he not able to transfer that greatness into origin when he had access to the best of the best? In origin "his" team were not given as much leeway as his regular NRL side got and he was hamstrung without that huge leg up.
I never bothered watching our game last night as I knew it would be more frustrating than entertaining. After the debacle with Rorters it was plainly obvious that we were on a hiding to nothing and would be made the scapegoat yet again.
The fact I even contemplated missing a Broncos game has sent my own alarm bells off.
This whole game has become a sad shell of what it used to be. When the Sydney-centric hierarchy purposefully plan to weaken one of their franchised teams to try and ensure the success of a newly entering team to try and boost negotiations with broadcasters we have reached a point of no return. At least for me anyway. The game that I loved, that I thought more important than most of the other things in my life has now become a mere afterthought and on many occasions the brunt of derision in my conversations with friends and family.
That ill-thought out idea of dinosaur junior Pearce through the week was cringe-worthy and reflects exactly where the game is at. Although Robinson is guilty of crying wolf far too often when his team loses, his press conference on Friday night had a lot of truth in it. The game is stuffed and the officiating is totally stuffed as the referees no longer recognise what consistency means let alone what it looks like. The only consistency you will see is the Storm getting favourable calls.
